Police to excavate Dublin garden in search for babies' remains

Gardai say they expect the excavation of the garden to last weeksGetty stock image

Police are to excavate the back garden of a house in south Dublin after a woman claimed two babies were buried there. The 53-year-old alleged the infants were born after she was raped by her father and another man when she was a child.

She claims to have given birth aged 12 and 14, and said the infants were suffocated before being buried. The events are said to have happened in the late 1960s or early 1970s.

Gardai said in a statement on Thursday (28 April) a search warrant had already been executed at an address in south Dublin. A major excavation of the garden, expected to last several weeks, will start in the first week of May.

Forensic archaeologist Toni Maguire told RTE Radio One she was confident the bodies would be found. She said: "It actually shouldn't be that difficult at all. If we've got a small area then there should be some evidence to whereabouts the babies would be buried for a start. It's not as if you're coming into a scenario where you've got quite a big area and you don't know where to start looking."

She added: "There are certain factors that affect the condition of the remains, such as the type of soil the babies were buried in and whether or not there was a container or makeshift coffin to protect the bodies in any way, but I think if they're there, they'll find them."

Police interviewed the alleged victim during a year-long investigation, according to Sky News. Gardai plan to speak to an elderly woman as part of the investigation.

Gardaí said in a statement: "Gardaí at Crumlin Garda Station are investigating an allegation regarding the death of a new born infant that occurred in the 1970s. As part of that investigation a search warrant was executed at an address in south Dublin this evening.

"Updates will be provided when this search has concluded. It is anticipated that the search will last two to three weeks. The result of this search will determine the future direction of the investigation."